Apple iPhone: Why Is It the Most Hacked Mobile Device?

The hacking of mobile devices has been going on for quite some time, at least as long as they’ve had Apple iPhones. The iPhone was revolutionary, yet still had people clamoring for more. They eagerly started jailbreaking the iPhone just to get even more out of it. Yet, even though the iPhone is no longer so widely regarded as revolutionary, it’s still the most hacked mobile device … by far.

Source Fire, a web security company issued a report, “25 Years of Vulnerabilities.” It searches for the Critical Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) of different software and mobile devices. This report found that the iPhone had 210 detected CVEs, while the Android only had 24. Yet, as far as numbers go, the Android is the closest to the iPhone in number of CVEs.

In terms of popularity, however, Android and iPhone are fairly close and nearly equal, depending on which poll you choose to follow. Why the disparateness? What is it about the iPhone that makes it so desirable to be hacked, leaving it as the most hacked mobile device?

There are a few different reasons for the Apple iPhone to be so vulnerable. One of these reasons is the extreme success of the company. Apple was the top company on Wall Street for quite some time. This factor alone makes them extremely vulnerable. Everyone wants to bring down the top dog. There’s a certain pleasure in being able to say that they aren’t so tough as you cracked their code.

It seems like the more Apple keeps their wares and knowledge locked up, the more vulnerable they become. Apple is always so secretive, from their technology to their products to their releases. Conversely, Android features an open platform, meaning they there are no secrets. It’s just not as fun to hack them. There’s no challenge.

Of course jailbreaking a mobile device isn’t the only reason they are hacked. They’re also hacked to steal information. Think of the information you have stored on your phone. Everything from text messages to pictures to your address book to saved documents. It can all be found on your phone, and if your phone is easily hacked, so is all of your precious information.

This means if you have an Apple iPhone, your precious data is that much more vulnerable just by virtue of the brand of device you own. It’s not because the iPhone isn’t safe; it’s just because of the extreme success of the company and because they themselves are so secretive. It makes all your info vulnerable.

Does this change your mind about having an iPhone? Will the knowledge of it being the most hacked mobile device make you buy an Android or other brand of mobile phone? Speak up and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.